Nightmares, Potions, And Comfort?
by flutegirl17
Summary: There is something very wrong with Hermione, and whether he wants to admit it or not, Snape is concerned, and determined to get to the bottom of it. Rated T?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first HP FanFic, so please be gentle. :)**

**Everything belongs to JK Rowling.**

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"_No! NO! STOP! NOOO!.."_

"Hermione! Hermione wake up!" Ginny Weasley cried as she shook Hermione awake for the fourth time that week.

Hermione Granger jolted upright in bed momentarily confused as to where she was and who was shaking her. "Ginny?" she said as she focused on the source of the shaking "What are you doing?"

"Hermione. You were screaming again." Ginny whispered not exactly looking at Hermione.

"Oh." Hermione mumbled also looking away "Thanks for waking me."

"Hermione? Are you sure you're ok?" Ginny asked her, finally looking directly into her face. She was shocked at what she saw. There were huge bags under Hermione's eyes, she was very pale, and her eyes were dead and lifeless.

"Ginny. For the last time. I am fine. Please. Stop asking, and if you don't mind I need to get ready for breakfast." Hermione said shortly pushing past a worried Ginny.

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Harry Potter and Ron Weasley waited impatiently in the Gryffindor common room for Hermione. They were grumbling something about how long girls take to get ready when Hermione came stumbling down stairs. They both looked up, annoyed, when she walked in until they got a good look at her. She looked downright ill.

"Blimey, Hermione. You look like death." Ron said with his usual tact.

"Gee, Ron. Please. Don't hold your opinions back." Hermione said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to go to breakfast." And with that, she stalked off and out of the portrait.

Ron and Harry looked at one another, shrugged, followed her out of the common room.

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Unbeknownst to Hermione, there were four people observing her at breakfast that morning.

Harry, Ron, and Ginny were watching her discreetly with concern as she pushed her food around on her plate with her hand in her head, as though she couldn't hold it up by itself.

Up at the teachers table Severus Snape was also watching Hermione, curious. Normally at breakfast, that silly Granger girl had her head in a book, or was having an animated conversation with Weasley about something or other. However, this morning she appeared to not even be able to stay awake. "_Curious." _He thought.

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Hermione heard Harry and Ron whispering about her as they made their way to potions that morning, but, she was too tired to care.

She slid into a table at the front of the class so that she could escape the Ron and Harry, and so that she could be by herself. Snape noticed this action, and was once again mildly curious as to what was wrong with Granger.

He set them brewing a Dreamless Sleep potion and swept back up to his desk at the front of the class, which was also directly in front of Hermione's table. He watched her inconspicuously throughout the class. She looked like she was about to drop on the spot. "_Stupid girl." _He thought to himself. _"She was probably up all night reading book after book so that she could continue being the obnoxious know-it-all that she is."_

Snape's thoughts were interrupted as a loud bang echoed around the classroom. His head whipped up expecting to see a singed and terrified looking Neville Longbottom staring back at him. Instead, it was Granger's cauldron that had blown up. She was staring into its depth as though she didn't understand what had just happened.

"10 points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, and a zero for the day, I think. " He sneered. "Everyone who has managed to not blow up their assignment bottle it, and bring it to the front." He snapped at everyone else.

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Hermione couldn't believe what had just happened. Never had she ever done anything that stupid before. However, even now she was having trouble concentrating on what was going on around her. The hustle and bustle of everyone trying to turn in their potion and cleanup was starting to grow fuzzy. _"Oh no. Not now."_ She thought as she felt the blackness consume her and everything went dark…

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Snape was waiting for everyone to clear out when he heard someone shout "Hermione!"

He looked around in time to see Hermione Granger fall to the ground, unconscious...

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**Please, review, be nice, and tell me what you think. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys. Here's the next chapter. I hope you like it. **

**Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling.**

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_Snape was waiting for everyone to clear out when he heard someone shout "Hermione!"_

_He looked around in time to see Hermione Granger fall to the ground, unconscious._

Though he knew there was no use, Snape lunged for the girl, even as she hit the hard ground of the dungeon. He kneeled beside her as the class fell into chaos around him. Potter and Weasley were leaning as close to the professor as they dared, shouting her name, as the rest of the class was crowding around them trying to see what was happening.

"SILENCE!" Snape roared and stood up; the classroom immediately fell silent. "Everyone will leave now, or risk failing the entire term." He watched as the class filed out of the room muttering amongst themselves as to what had happened. "That means you too, Potter. Weasley. Now." Snape said in a menacing voice once again kneeling down next to Granger.

"But, sir," Potter protested "Hermione is our friend, and we need to make sure she's ok" The Weasley boy nodded fervently beside me.

"50 points from Gryffindor. Get out _now_ or there will be a much, much worse price to pay." Snape said, his voice ice.

Potter and Weasley gave Snape a look that could kill as they both excited the dungeon. With everyone gone, Snape could finally focus his attention on the still unconscious girl laying before on the floor.

"What have you done to yourself, you stupid girl." He muttered as he lightly touched her arm. "Granger. Wake up. This is a classroom. Not a bedroom." The girl stirred, and then suddenly jolted awake, and would have sat up straight if not for the restraining hand she felt against her shoulder.

"Easy." Snape said looking at the girl who actually appeared to bbe scared.

Hermione was aware of a distant voice, and suddenly remembered what had happened. Hoping it was just a dream, and that she had not, in fact, just fainted in Snape's class, she jolted awake. There was a moment of confusion when she felt something or someone holding her down, and her second of hope faded as she looked up into the face of Professor Snape.

"Easy." He told her as she tried to sit up "Do you feel well enough that you can sit, and then stand?" He asked still holding her in place.

"Yes." She muttered, extremely embarrassed; she had to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Alright, then." He said staring at her hard, and letting her go, and standing up himself.

Hermione immediately sat and then stood up, the world losing focus once more, but to her surprise, when she thought that all was lost once more, she felt a steadying hand on her arm and a sharp voice say, "I said easy, silly girl." Snape said, helping her to a seat.

Snape watched as Granger stood up, and grabbed her arm as she swayed dangerously. Steadying her, he led her to a chair. Sneering he looked her in the face and said, "Why did you faint in my classroom, Miss Granger? Surely being such close friends with Mister Potter brings you enough attention, that you would not feel the need to draw more to yourself. Especially in _my_ classroom."

Hermione stared at Snape as he spoke to her, and could not believe what he was saying. Snape thought she _wanted_ to faint? _Wanted_ attention? He was such a miserable person.

"Forget it," she mumbled standing up, and turning to leave, "You neither care, nor understand. I'll see you next potions, _Professor._" She took a step and stumbled. He automatically reached out a hand toward her, inwardly surprised when she jerked away snarling, "Don't. Touch me." And leaving.

Snape watched as Granger exited his classroom, slightly unsteady, and couldn't help the frown that creased his forehead. What was this strange emotion he was feeling for the girl? Dare he say, _concern_? Was he actually worried about Granger, and her health and safety? Though he would never admit it to anyone else, he was, in fact, worried about her. And he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

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**Review? Do you like? Be honest, yet gentle, please. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys. Thanks for the reviews. :) Hope you enjoy.**

**Discalimer: These are not mine.**

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_Snape watched as Granger exited his classroom, slightly unsteady, and couldn't help the frown that creased his forehead. What was this strange emotion he was feeling for the girl? Dare he say, concern? Was he actually worried about Granger, and her health and safety? Though he would never admit it to anyone else, he was, in fact, worried about her. And he was determined to get to the bottom of it._

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_Hermione was running as fast as her body would carry her. Through the corridors, up and down stairs, and she could still hear them chasing after her, and was it possible?, gaining on her. Deciding while she was running to turn around and face her chasers with her wand at the ready, she spun, halting. What she saw made her spine crawl. Draco Malfoy and his cronies had stopped in their tracks and were sneering at her._

"_Why are you running, Granger?" Malfoy spat, stepping closer. "We just want to have a little…fun."_

_And with that he grasped her wand arm, threw her wand away and made to tear off her clothing…_

"HERMIONE! WAKE! UP!"

Hermione was suddenly jerked away from Malfoy and his probing hands back to Ginny and her violently shaking Hermione. _"Great." _Hermione sighed inwardly to herself _"Yet again, Ginny has to wake me up. The last thing I need is people asking more questions."_

"Sorry, Ginny." Hermione said with a smile as Ginny glared down at her. "Just a dream. Nothing to worry about."

"_If that were only true, and it was only a dream." _Hermione thought sadly to herself.

She watched as Ginny left muttering something about Hermione being crazy under her breath, and she got out of bed, thinking about her dream, or, should she say, nightmare.

It had been nearly a month ago that Malfoy and his cronies had assaulted Hermione in the corridor one evening as she was sneaking back from the library.

Malfoy had told her that she wasn't worth anything, what with her being a Mudblood and all, and that all she was good for was to use. After those remarks, he had attempted to rip her clothing off, but she fought back ferociously, and he then proceeded to beat her.

Honestly, she had preferred the beating to what Malfoy had apparently originally planned. She remembered the pain her entire body felt as Malfoy and his gang finally left her, limp, and bleeding on the floor, with the threat that if she ever told anyone what had happened Malfoy would kill her, but also with the promise that it would happen again soon.

She had fixed herself the best she could and used a glamour charm for at least a week after the incident to hide it all. _"The worst part,"_ she thought miserably as she put her shoes on, _"is that no one even noticed."_

She decided as she was walking silently alongside Harry and Ron to breakfast that she would not sleep for a few days a week, and then maybe the nightmares would stop. So with that plan, she decided that she would need to steal a potion from Snape to keep her awake.

"I need to go to the library before Transfiguration." Hermione said as she broke off from Harry and Ron and ran back up the stairs.

"What are we going to do with her?" Ron asked shaking his head at Harry as they walked into the Great Hall for breakfast.

Snape looked up from his oatmeal as the Potter and Weasley boy walked in. It did not go unnoticed by him that Granger was not with them. Finishing his oatmeal he swept down from the head table towards the two boys who had just sat down.

"Where is Miss Granger. Surely she is aware that breakfast is mandatory?" he sneered at them.

Harry and Ron jumped as they heard Snape speak from behind them.

"She said she needed to go to the library or something." Harry said glaring back at Snape. "Why do you care, anyways?"

"Oh," Snape said in a scathing tone, "rest assured that I do not , in fact, care what Miss Granger chooses to do with her time." And with that he turn and walked out of the great hall, his robes billowing behind him.

"Git." Ron muttered and Harry nodded, both turning back to their oatmeal.

Snape was contemplating what exactly Granger could need to look up this early in the library, when the very same girl ran headlong into him, not paying attention to where she was going, as she was too busy stuffing something into her bag.

"Professor Snape!" she cried breathlessly, "I am so sorry! I didn't see you."

"Of course you didn't, Miss Granger, you were too busy fiddling around with your precious books. Ten points from Gryffindor. Do try and get your head out of the books long enough to pay attention to your surroundings." And with that he walked off towards his dungeons.

"Insufferable man." She whispered as she met Ron and Harry and they made their way to Transfiguration.

As Snape entered the dungeons, he noticed the door to his private potions was a little ajar, and as he knew that he would never have left it open, he was immediately on his guard. He pulled out his wand and made his way to the towards the door, and yanking it open, he looked inside to find nothing seemingly out of the ordinary.

On closer inspection, though, he noticed that the vial next to his Draught of Living Death was gone, and after a moment's contemplation as to what was there, he realized that his Draught of Sleeping Death was gone.

The Draught of Sleeping Death was as powerful as the Draught of Living Death, only it worked in the opposite way. As the Draught of Living Death will send the drinker into a deep trance that mimics death, the Draught of Sleeping Death, will keep the drinker awake for days on end, whether they want to be or not.

While it would not kill whoever took it, there were some severe side effects from taking it, such as hallucinations, dizzy spells, and loss of appetite.

It would be evident very quickly who stole that potion from him, and when he found out who it was, there would be hell to pay…

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**I hope you enjoyed. I know that that isn't a very creative title for the potion, but hey. :) Review and let me know what you think. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys. :) Thanks for the reviews, alert updates, and subscriptions. Somethings were brought to my attention about me being unclear, for which I apologize. Let me try and clear somethings up. First off, this is set in The Trio's 6th year, however, Snape is still the potions teacher. Secondly, I know it may have come across in previous chapters that Hermione was raped or sexually assualted by Malfoy. However, that is not how I meant it. I meant it as she was beaten up my Malfoy. Lastly, no matter how badly you may want this to turn into Snape/Hermione romance, it won't. I'm sorry. :) Well, I really hope you enjoy this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

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Hermione couldn't believe that she ran into Snape of all people right after she had stolen his potion. She was sure that he had known, but he was apparently unaware of what had just gone down.

"_Well," _she thought, _"it won't be long before he finds out. No matter though. There is no way he would ever suspect me."_

Hermione made her way back up to the Gryffindor common room, knowing that she had already missed Transfiguration, and to her dormitory, where, after seeing she was alone and depositing her school bag, she took the vial of Draught of Living Death and stared down at it in her hands. She had a moment's hesitation before she downed the whole bottle; she had no idea what the proper dose was, but figured that it couldn't hurt to take a little extra.

She felt immediately more awake, and alert, as she looked in the mirror, it even looked like she had a little more color in her cheeks. Feeling better than she had in a while, she made her way back down to the common room to start her homework during her free period.

She found Harry and Ron already there attempting to start their homework, but thoroughly distracting one another.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed as she sat down beside him, "Where were you in Transfiguration? And at breakfast? Snape asked us about you at breakfast. I can't believe you missed a class!"

"_Snape asked about me?" _she thought to herself _"Odd. And slightly…suspicious."_

"I, uh, fell asleep in the library. I'll go and talk to Professor McGonagall later."

They were both staring at her suspiciously, knowing full way that it would, in normal circumstances, take hell freezing over to stop her attending a class. She dropped her gaze to her books, to avoid them staring.

"Well, you don't look so dreadful anymore.." Harry said slowly still looking at her slightly suspiciously.

She glanced up and smiled, "I just needed a little rest. Let's get started on this homework, shall we?"

The rest of the day passed without event, Hermione went to the rest of the her classes, and could be found in the common room with Harry and Ron after dinner, doing their homework.

"Well, it's midnight." Harry yawned checking his watch, "I'm gonna hit the sack."

Ron nodded and agreement, and they both looked at Hermione.

"I'm just going to finish my essay for Potions." She said without looking up

"Hermione, it's late and you can do it tomorrow. We haven't done ours yet." Ron told her

"Yes, well, that's you, isn't it?" she said looking up, slightly annoyed.

"Whatever." Ron muttered shaking his and walking up the stairs to his dormitory with Harry.

Hermione smiled to herself. She still had hours and hours to do all of her work and get some reading done before she would have to go and shower and get ready for the following day.

And finish all of her homework and start a book is exactly what Hermione did that night. At 6am she went up to her dormitory and showered and changed, then went back downstairs to wait for Harry and Ron.

As Harry and Ron came downstairs yawning they were surprised to see such a fresh looking Hermione when she had gone to bed after them, and they were tired.

"'Morning, Hermione." Harry greeted her as they made their way through the portrait hole to The Great Hall for breakfast. "Did you sleep well?" he asked her.

"Oh yes." She replied, smiling.

Harry was surprised, but let it go, since she finally looked well again.

As the Golden Trio entered The Great Hall, Snape looked up from the morning paper and his breakfast. He watched them covertly as they made their way up the Gryffindor table and sat down. Granger, he noticed, actually looked well, and maybe even rested.

"_She must have pulled her nose out of the books long enough to rest a little. Finally the child used a little sense."_ He thought to himself.

He was about to go back to reading the paper and ignoring the Trio, when he saw Granger pale so instantly and severely that he thought she would pass out right then. Secretly startled, Snape's gaze followed where Granger was looking to see what could have made her pale so intensely, and what he saw made anger boil up inside of him.

She was staring, petrified, at Draco Malfoy and his thug friends, Crabbe and Goyle, and upon closer inspection, he noticed that Draco was making a gesture with his hands. As he watch he saw Draco punch his right fist into his left palm, while glaring at her menacingly.

Then, as soon as it had begun, it was over. Hermione had regained her composure, and Draco had gone back to whispering amongst his cronies. Snape did not want to think that what he had just seen was actually what it was.

Surely Draco Malfoy and not just made a sign suggesting that he was going to punch Hermione Granger?

"_Well," _he thought shaking it off, _"it's not my concern anyway. I am sure that Mr. Malfoy, would not dare do something as reckless as that_ ."

Despite saying that to himself, he couldn't get the way Granger had looked out of his mind. She was legitimately frightened of Draco.

"_Leave it."_ He told himself as breakfast ended and he made his way to the dungeons for his first lesson.

Hermione was still shaken up about what Malfoy had just suggested was going to happen, possibly later today.

"_Well," _she thought as she sat there barely aware of Harry and Ron talking about Quidditch next to her, _"He did say that I could be expecting it again. I wish there was someone I could tell. But that's too dangerous, and I'm not a baby.."_ she sighed softly and brought herself back into the conversation, dreading how her day would end up…

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**What do you think? Is it terrible? Good? Acceptable? Should I abandon it? Please review. :) And have a fabulous day.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys. I am SO sorry for the delay. I hope you haven't given up on me. I also hope you enjoy this chapter. Please read and review. :)**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

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The day passed more quickly than usual for Hermione. _"So this is what it's like to be awake and alert, and still be able to study as long as I wish. This is really, really wonderful and I could get used to it."_ Hermione thought to herself as she followed Ron and Harry into the Great Hall for dinner.

Out of habit, Hermione glanced at the staff table as she sat down to find Snape staring at her with the oddest expression on his face. However, when she did a double take, he appeared to be immersed in a conversation with Professor Sprout, sitting next to him, and Hermione decided she must have imagined it.

She was enjoying talking with her friends at dinner and didn't even notice that she hadn't eaten anything, until Ron looking at her with food in his mouth asked, "Hermione, why aren't you eating?"

Hermione started slightly. She hadn't realized that she hadn't taken a single bite of food, and upon closer examination, she realized that her body wasn't even hungry.

"I'm not hungry, Ron." She replied shortly looking at him in somewhat disgust as he continued to chew his food with his mouth open.

Harry turned to her, "But, Hermione, you didn't eat breakfast, and I didn't see you at lunch…"

"Look, guys, I'm not hungry. It isn't that big of a deal. Please, drop it. Ok?" she replied to Harry and Ron.

Ron shrugged turning back to his plate. Harry, however, gave her a hard, penetrating look before finally turning back to his plate as well.

"_That is strange. I haven't eaten anything today, and I'm not hungry. Maybe that potion also helps control hunger."_ Hermione thought to herself, ignoring the conversation around her.

Snape watched as the Golden Trio walked into the Great Hall for dinner. He caught Granger's eye, and immediately turned to engage Professor Sprout in conversation before she looked back.

He would glance at the Trio every now and again throughout the meal, and noticed that Granger hadn't eaten anything. He also hadn't seen her at breakfast or lunch.

"_Stupid Granger. She finally looks rested, and instead, she appears to have decided to starve herself."_

He stopped, then. Why did he care what happened to her? He wasn't her parent, and it wasn't his job to take care of foolish Gryffindors.

The next days blurred together for Hermione. She had stopped eating all together, and was starting to have moments of such paralyzing dizziness that she thought she would pass out each time they happened.

Harry and Ron and had started to notice that she never seemed to go to bed, and never seemed to eat, but, she was sad to say, they accepted her excuses as to why she wasn't there at meals and stayed up later than them always, and dropped it.

Unbeknownst to her however, someone else had noticed the changes in Hermione. Snape noticed she had just stopped coming to meals all together, and that sometimes, she would pale dramatically and sway on the spot. When this happened he always feared that she was going to pass out.

He finally thought that he knew who had stolen the Draught of Living Sleep from him, and he planned on finding her and confronting her later. The part that nearly made him madder than a student stealing from him was, even with it being the insufferable know-it-all, her "best friends" didn't seem to be even remotely concerned.

Snape, however, would get his chance to confront Hermione sooner than he had anticipated, but not in the manner her had hoped..

Hermione was very nearly running down the corridor on her way from the library back to her dormitory. She had forgotten to check out a book she would need to complete her transfiguration essay, earlier that day, and now she was racing against time and her own nerves.

Curfew was closing in fast on her, but that wasn't her main concern. Her main concern was the threat Malfoy had made against her earlier that day, and the fact that she was completely alone in a dark corridor very close to curfew. The perfect time to attack or to be attacked.

As if he could hear her thoughts, Malfoy stepped out from behind the nearest suit of armor with Crabbe and Goyle flanking him. He nodded to them, and they went to the ends of the corridors to stand guard.

Hermione skidded to a stop, her eyes widening in horror. Malfoy just stood there, blocking her path, with a malevolent look gleaming in his eye.

"Ah. Granger. Just the filthy, little mudblood I was looking for." Malfoy whispered taking a step closer to her.

"What do you want, Malfoy." Hermione demanded trying to keep her voice steady and calm.

"Now, Granger. You know exactly what I want." He sneered, and with that, Malfoy punched Hermione directly in the face.

Hermione fell to the floor and Malfoy kicked her hard in the ribs. He dragged her, gasping, back to her feet and punched her a couple of more times in the face before letting her fall back to the ground.

As she lay there bleeding, Malfoy continued to kick every part of her he could. Hermione lay there, curled in a ball, bleeding, praying for the darkness that hovered on the edge of her vision to take her, as she felt a few of her ribs crack under Malfoy's continuous kicking blows.

Suddenly, the blows stopped coming, and she raised her head ever so slightly to see Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle running away. She then heard the soft footsteps of someone coming around the corner, opposite from the way the other three ran.

Someone was coming.

Snape was starting his rounds; thankfully he had gotten the shift right at the beginning of the night. He was walking down the fourth floor corridor, not really paying attention to what was going on he heard a soft scuffling sound coming from around the corner.

Raising his wand higher, he swiftly made his way around said corner, expecting to find a couple snogging, and hoping to take many points, and maybe even, if he was lucky, they would be Gryffindors.

What his eyes fell upon, instead was Hermione Granger lying in the middle of the corridor. Not knowing what to think, he made his way rapidly closer, and what he saw turned his stomach.

Hermione Granger, _Hermione Granger?_, was lying in the middle of a corridor, after curfew, bloody, bruised, semi-conscious, having very obviously been brutally beaten.

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**Did you like it? I hope so. Let me know. :) Thanks.**


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